1985 300D California Car Mystery Hose [pics]

[C2CBenz]

I picked up a 1985 300D Turbo California car with the extra systems on it, and one of the hoses (a three way unit) needs to be replaced, but I can not find any info on it anywhere. I have included 2 pictures showing PNs on the bottom, but neither show anything when Googling. Thanks to anyone who can lend some knowledge!

This is the hose in question...


Enhance...


Using a mirror to see Part Number 1 (54527 1-2)...


Using a mirror to see Part Number 2 (617 018 08 81)...

[ykobayashi]

Duplicate post.

[ykobayashi]

Crankcase breather. Hopefully you can still get one. I bought a new one five years ago but I wouldn’t be shocked if it was NLA.

The good news is you can Jerry rig something with T fittings and hoses. The Mercedes solution is such a bad design it can likely be improved with an oil separator can. I would plug off one of the holes (probably the one on the accordion tube) and put the catch can between the air cleaner and valve cover.

The whole CA emissions setup is a wart that the MB engineers designed as an afterthought likely to satisfy regulatory rules. A lot of the people here rebuild their systems with Fed parts which requires an oil drain to the pan. Others completely gut the monstrosity and make custom intakes. So all is not lost if you cannot find that quirky rubber T.

[BillGrissom]

Only on the 1985 CA cars, so maybe a CA dealership still has in stock. A poor design where oil in the crankcase vent flow is supposed to drip into the turbo inlet. As the engine ages and you get more blow-by, that gunks the compressor wheel, and a lot gets to the air filter to gunk it. But they did put a hole in the bottom to drip oil onto the AC filter/drier. Earlier cars had a much better oil separator built into the engine-mounted air filter, with separated oil going down a drain tube below, into the top of the upper oil pan via a check valve. Watch youtubes to check your blow-by. Basically, block the vent hole and measure how many seconds before the engine dies (pressure acts on shutdown valve on IP). If >10 sec, your engine is pristine. If <2 sec, your engine is shot. If >5 sec, you probably won't yet need a block heater for winter.

But, your frame-mounted oil filter is better since it doesn't suffer the "shake and break" mounting bracket problem of the others. I even retrofit my 1984 300D to that, routing the separated oil to its drain tube rather than the turbo inlet. In my 1985 300D, I still have the factory rubber tee you show (though earlier engine now so use its drain tube). In my 1984, I used a silicone tee (from retrofit silicone hose set for motorcycle, cheap on ebay). Probably better since a bit larger so it slows the vent flow more to better scavenge oil. I put brass mesh in the tee to better catch oil from the mist. Some still gets by to the air filter in my 1984 since the engine is more worn (~325 psig compression), but mostly gunks the lower air filter so I toss it periodically. I use 2 filters there since won't pay $50 for "correct" M-B filter (an IQ Test). I posted a Wix PN several times, but recall for a 1988 Toyota MR2. Likely others would fit.

Some people have installed an oil catch can, which is a common aftermarket part on ebay, used by tuners with turbo gas engine. I think they offload collected oil periodically. Some oil catch cans have a drain. There was an aftermarket one sold for our cars, which is mounted in the right spring tower hole to drip oil down the spring to get rid of it. Might get a lot of oil mist as the engine ages, but your engine doesn't have a stub for the drain tube, so you either let it get sucked thru the turbo or collect it. If you think strange, gas cars until 1960's had a "road vent" tube which exited below the vehicle to get rid of crankcase blow-by, until PCV began routing it to the intake manifold. Diesels don't need a PCV since the intake doesn't run at a vacuum, other than the slight pressure drop across the air filter.